Capítulo 55: 4.9
Time: Early Afternoon.
Location: Gotham, Bruce Wayne's Office, Wayne Enterprises.
"Good afternoon, Mr Wayne." I say with a huge, shit-eating grin. "May I call you Bruce? I feel like I know you so well, despite how we have just met face to face for the first time."
He frowns for a moment before putting on his act.
"That would be fine. Please, Mr Magnus this is quite a surprise. To meet such a… famous person… like this is quite a shock. What may Wayne Enterprises do for you?" He asked, with a genial tone as he sized me up.
"In this case, it is instead what can I offer Wayne Enterprises." I chuckled. "My offer is exclusive access to technology that is well ahead of almost anyone, short of aliens. I want your company to develop it, to bring it to humanity."
"As wonderful sounding as this goal is, what are you offering? You make your offer sound like this is ground breaking." He retorted, sceptically.
"Please, look at this." I placed a design on the desk. Since he was 'forgetting' to offer me a seat I reclined in mid air as I waited. It raised an eyebrow, but he was focused on the design.
"What is this?" He asked.
"Anti-gravity engine." I replied.
"An anti-gravity drive… are you serious?!" He demanded, angrily. "Is this some kind of prank?!"
"Look closely. It is real. It is merely one of the things I wish your company to develop for the world market. The French Government is ready to place an order for military designs you make from this first generation device. They merely need to see your proposal. Likewise, I can also give you access to the plans for a scaled down nuclear fusion reactor, an energy based propulsion engine which can be paired with the reactor for space exploration and several computer components over fifty generations ahead of current models." I placed the designs for each on the desk as I spoke. To Bruce's amazement. "What I ask for in return is five percent of all profit from the devices and any derivative designs using them or their technology. With a sample of each for me to play with. I know the designs will be hard to make as they are, the exotic metals used in their construction are rare on Earth. But in space they are common. Which will not be a problem. For half the price of the materials retrieved I am prepared to venture out into space and return with an asteroid for you to mine in orbit." I smiled and did the classic Gendo Ikari pose. "Production facilities are equally difficult I imagine. The factories will need to be redesigned and new facilities made to cope with these new technologies and their production. I want two of these new factories/facilities built in France and staffed locally."
Bruce seemed to be almost tongue tied. "This… what do you gain from these concessions?"
"Didn't I just say? Five percent and some good PR in France. Plus half the material cost of the asteroid… which should still be immense for a few hours effort. Rare Earth metals can be quite expensive." I shrug. "Other than that, nothing really. This is a long term investment in humanity. I have high hopes your company can deliver them."
Poor Bruce. He seems out of his depth as he asked: "Where did these come from?"
"Confiscated by the French Government and ownership gifted to me. The original owner is a deceased criminal super genius inventor." I explained.
"The Brain." He said, on reflex.
"Correct. Of course I am curious how you know that name." I teased.
"Uh..." He started to make excuses.
"Don't fret, I have an idea how you know." I waved the awkwardness away. "I'll be in Gotham for another night, be sure to have anyone you trust check out the designs. Of course I expect some tough security, I mean if I see this technology on the streets in the hands of masked criminals I might be a trifle miffed. The pair of baseline human clowns last night was more than enough."
He grits his teeth behind me as I begin to float out the room.
I shrug. "Oh, be careful out there Mr Wayne. There is a vigilante dressed like a chiroptera on the streets that can't tell the difference between law abiding people and criminals… I mean what kind of idiot attacks an obviously benign superhuman?" I smile as he shuffles uncomfortably, not quite sure whether to continue the playboy act.
"Besides why would anyone trust a man who hides his true face?" I smiled. "There are no masks on me. I am merely myself, yet I still received such suspicion. Clearly the man is paranoid." I turn to face him as I exit the room. "Well, to be fair. If he were to really push my buttons I wouldn't have let him escape. But it isn't as if I can't identify him by his brain waves. See you around… Bruce Wayne."
There we go… that last one really got to him. Yes, Brucy I know who you are and I don't care.
Back to touring the worst city in the US.
The city is like a caricature. An hour. An hour is all it takes for me to detect a mugging. At a few hundred metres. As I sip on a soda I crumple the pistol and beat the criminal around the face with it a few times as the victim escapes. Still less violent than Batman.
Taking buses to places that sound familiar, like the narrows isn't a spectacular plan. But it works to waste time.
Of course the thugs that jam a pistol in my ribs and tell me that their boss wants a word are also interesting. Who can it be? I let them march me into a car and wait as they drive us to somewhere new. As they do I engage them in idle chatter. I've always been curious, what does professional thug pay? Surprisingly little I find.
The door opens and I am ushered into a club.
Penguin? Oh, I hope it's Penguin!
"Hello, I'm Fish Mooney. Delighted to meet you, Magnus." An eye catching woman purred as she offered me a hand to shake.
"I'm sorry… who are you, again? I couldn't hear you over your inconsequence." I asked.
Yet another small fish. What a let down. First Condiment King and now this. Gotham really does suck the joy out of life.
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